WEBVTT THE STORY.FELIX: THIS IS WHERE IS ALLHAPPENED, ON THE SURFACE ITLOOKS LIKE A BIG PUDDLE BUTBELOW THE SURFACE ARE TWO LARGECULVERTS, THAT NEARLY SUCKED INTHAT 11-YEAR-OLD BOY AND THOSEWHO TRIED TO RESCUE HIM. >> I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS APUDDLE IT WAS COMPLETELY STILLON TOP I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THATDEEP AT ALL I JUST SLIPPED INAND IT JUST PULLED ME IN.FELIX: IT WAS AN ORDEAL11-YEAR-OLD CHARLIE SELCK WON'TSOON FORGET, SUNDAY AFTERNOON HEWAS WALKING ALONG THIS DRAINAGEDITCH WITH HIS BROTHER, MOTHERAND NEIGHBOR WHEN HE POKED ASTICK IN THE WATER AND FELL IN.>> IT WAS JUST SUPER SCARY LIKEWHAT WAS GOING THROUGH MY HEADAM I GOING TO DIE THE CURRENT, WAS SUPER STRONG UNDER THEWATER.FELIX: THE FAMILY AND FRIENDLIVE IN THIS LAKEN DRIVENEIGHBORHOOD OFF 152, THEY WERECHECKING FLOOD LEVELS WHENCHARLIE FELL IN, PANIC QUICKLYTURNED INTO PRAYERS.>> ALL HE SAID IS MOM I THINKI'M GOING TO DIE, CAN YOU PLEASEPRAY FOR ME?AND THAT'S IT, WE JUST PRAYEDFOR STRENGTH FOR OUR NEIGHBOR TOBE ABLE TO HOLD HIM UP, TO BEABLE TO HOLD HIS HEAD ABOVEWATER UNTIL THE FIREFIGHTERS GOTTHERE. UNDERNEATH THIS WATER ARETWO HUGE CULVERTS ROUGHLY 4 FEETIN DIAMETER, THE WATER SO SWIFTIT NEARLY PULLED AMBER DEANKAYNIG UNDER, THE FAMILYNEIGHBOR WHO JUMPED IN TO SAVECHARLIE.>> AND IT WAS DESCRIBED TO METHAT JUST THE PRESSURE TO PULLTHIS LITTLE BOY FROM THISCULVERT AREA FELT LIKE THE BWEIGHED ABOUT A THOUSAND POUNDS.THERE JUST SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OFPRESSURE.FELIX SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES AND FIREFIREFIGHTERS EVENTUALLY ARRIVEDAND THEY TOO NEARLY GOT SUCKEDUNDER, ONE FIREFIGHTER WAS SENTTO THE HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION,CHARLIE SHOWING THE BRUISES ANDSCRATCHES THAT NEARLY COST HIMHIS LIFE.>> LUCKILY, HIS OLDER BROTHERWAS THERE ADULTS WERE THERE ANDOUR PERSONEL AND FIRE WE WEREABLE TO RESCUE EVERYBODY OUT OFTHERE, BUT IT COULD'VE GONE FARWORSE. >> WE ALMOST LOST HIM. I WAS JUST SCARED FOR HIS LIFE. I WASN'T SURE WHAT WAS GOING TOHAPPEN. FELIX: AND TONIGHT A CLEARMESSAGE COMING FROM LAWENFORCEMENT AND THE NEIGHBOR WHOHELPED SAVE CHARLIE, NEVERUNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OFWATER.AS WE SEE HERE ON THE SURFACE, THIS LOOKS HARMLESS, BUT ASWE'VE JUST SEEN, IT'S WHAT'SUNDERNEATH THAT CAN BEDANGEROUS, EVEN DEADLY.ERIN: THANK YOU.AND IT'S JUST NOT DRAINAGEDITCHES, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF,BUT CREEKS AND RIVERS CAN RISEQUICKLY DURING HEAVY RAINS, ANDTHEY CAN BE EQUALLY DANGEROUS.THE CURRENT CAN QUICKLY PULL YOUDOWN STREAM.

Charlie was playing with a stick when he lost his footing and fell into the water.

His 15-year-old brother, Reese, grabbed onto the boy and helped him keep his head above water until emergency crews arrived. They were dangerously close to an underground culvert that would have swept the boys underwater and underground.

Charlie cried out, "I think I'm going to die."

When the first deputy arrived and attempted to get Charlie out of the water, a family friend also fell in. Three deputies and two firefighters fell into the fast-moving flood water as well during the challenging rescue effort.